Whether you’re looking for a utility that can create global macros on a Windows PC or you’d just like to have macro capabilities in one application, consider checking out Macro Express 3. This application is both powerful and light, and the price tag isn’t that bad either.
Overview and System Requirements
Macro Express 3 is a small, but powerful utility that allows you to create macros for just about any task performed on a Windows PC. It offers users several ways to create these macros, including an easy recording wizard that can construct a basic macro simply by interpreting the keystrokes and mouse movements used when performing the task.
Although there are several Windows applications that come with a built-in macro recorder, there are many more, such as Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, that lack such a tool. Moreover, the macros created in Macro Express 3 aren’t just restricted for use in one application. They can be set up to work globally in all programs, or you can define a specific collection of applications to associate with each macro.
To run this lightweight Windows application, your system will need to meet the following requirements.
- Windows Vista, XP, 2003, 2000, NT 4, Me, 98, or 95.
- Pentium or greater CPU.
- 32 MB RAM.
- 20 MB hard drive space.
- Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher required for some features.
| Download and Installation | Rating  |
The installation file for Macro Express 3 is just about 8.5 MB in size and downloads in moments if you’re on a broadband connection. Installation of the software is quick and smooth, and there’s no need to reboot the computer afterwards.
At the end of the installation process, the application is immediately ready for use, and you can start creating your first macro right away.
| Methods of Macro Creation | Rating |
The developers of Macro Express 3 have gone out of their way to make sure that macro creation abilities are available to users of all levels of technical background. The easiest way to build a new macro is with the Macro Quick Wizard that walks you through the steps of creating a macro in “capture” mode. Basically, creating a macro using the capture technique just requires you to enter the commands, using your keyboard or mouse, that you want the macro to perform.
You don’t have to use the wizard to capture a macro – you can also access this option from the Add Macro window or the shortcut area located on the left panel of the application. This will save experienced users who don’t want to be bothered with walking through every step of the wizard, a little extra time. Additionally, you can create a macro by using the scripting editor or direct editor. Both of these editors have a very intuitive interface and allow you to have a wider range of control over your macro creations.
| Playing Back Macros | Rating |
Most macro users are familiar with the process of assigning macros to hotkeys. This ability is present in Macro Express 3, but it’s just one of the many options that you have for macro playback. This variety of choices is one of my favorite features of the software. I’m always a little leery of using hotkey assignments for global macros, because I worry they might interfere with some other application’s custom definitions. So, I really like the idea of having other options available. (Just as a note here – even if you do assign a hotkey to a global macro that is used by other applications, you can always disable that hotkey for those programs when defining the macro scope.)
In addition to hotkey assignment, you can also assign macros to shortcut key sequences (like abc or 1a3), schedule the macro to run at a specific time, have the macro run when the mouse clicks a certain area of the screen, add the macro to a floating menu where it can be selected when needed, and run the macro directly from the Macro Explorer. These are just a few of the major macro playback options available. Several others are included and documented in detail within the application.
Continue on to page 2 of this review to find out more about the Ease of Use, User Support, Price, and Overall Rating of Macro Express 3.